Airship and glider



Oct. 7. 1924.

T. J. POLK AIRSHIP AND GLIDER Filed July 2a. 1923 r is Sheets-Sheet. 1

Oct; 7

T. J. POLK AIRSHIP AND GLIDER Filedduly 28. 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Oct. 7. 1924. 4 1,510,607

T.J.POLK

AIRSHIP AND GLIDER Filed July 28. 1923 5 ShGBtS-ShBBt- 71]. POA K INVENTOR ATTORNEY l atentecl 06. 7, 1924.

'line 1-4 of Fig. 3. i

1,510,607 PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS J. POLK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

' AIRSHIP AND GLIDER.

Application filed July 28, 1923. Serial No. 654,419.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, THOMAS J. POLK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Airships and Gliders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to airships or flying machines, and an object of the invention is to provide a flying machine designed so that it may rise in a substantially vertical path, eliminating the necessity of large landing fields as well as eliminating the high speed necessaryv for the take off.

Another object of this invention is to provide a flying machine as specified w iich comprises a frusto conical rotary fan r0 tatable about a vertical axis, intermediate the ends of'the body ofthe'flying machine or' airship, which fan is rotatable to create air currents for imparting a vertical lifting action to the airship.

A further object of the invention is to provide an airship as specified in which a novel form of aerofoils and rudders are provided which are designed to facilitate the glidingac-tion of the flying machine so as to permit it tobe used as a lider when desired,

and whichaerofoils anc rudders are composed of hingedly connected sections movable through manually operated adjusting means, into various angles relative to the horizontal, for permitting accurate control of the flight of the machine or ship.

Other objects of the invention willappear in the following detailed description taken in'connectioii with the accompanying drawings wherein: I I

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved airship or glider. t

Fig. 2 is a top plan of the improved airship or glider. 3 Fig. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal section through the airship.

Fig. 4 is a detail horizontal section on the Fig. 5 is a detail vertical section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

Fig.6 is a fragmentary horizontal section through iofFig.3.-

- of Fig. 6.

the airship taken on the line 6-6- and 3 of which are substantially conical in shape, while the body is cylindrical in shape. The body 1 is provided with a transversely extending substantially frusto conical well extending therethrough which is formed by the shell 4. The shell 4 has annular hearing flanges 5 formed therein at spaced points which cooperate with the bearing balls 6 and the bearing flanges 7 for supportingthe fan shell 8 rotatable within the well formed by the shell 41. The flanges 7 are formed upon the shell 8. The rotary'shell 8 has a plurality of arcuate inwardly curving blades 9 formed thereon which extend through the major portion of the length of the shell and which are curved to engage the air in the shell, to create a foroed draught or air currents for imparting a lifting action to the airship. The shell 8 is provided with auxiliary side openingslO formed therein at circumferentially spaced points.

Cups 11 are attached to the outer perimeter of the shell 8 at longitudinally spaced points and air. is guided into and against these cups through the air guiding pipe 12 for cooperating with the prime mover in driving. or rotating the shell 8. The pipe 12 extends forwardly through the body 1 and opens out in a flared funnel like mouth 13 exteriorly of the front end 2 ofthe body 1.

The shell 8is connected, by any suitable power transmitting mechanism such as a belt 14 with a shaft 15, which shaft is in .turn connected to a prime mover 16 which may be in the form of an inter'nal'combustion engine, electric motor orthe like. The prime mover 16 is connected by means of a connecting rod 17 with a propeller shaft 18. The propeller shaft 18 has a crank portion 18' to which the connecting the crank portion 18 as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 6 of the drawings. The shaft 18 is supported by suitable bearings 19, which are carried by the body and project beneath the cut away portions at'the ends of the body. A propeller structure is provided at both the front and rear end of the aeroplane. o i

The body 1 has wings or aerofoils 2O hingedly connected thereto as shown at 21, and any suitable type of fasteners 22 may be provided for maintaining the wings in horizontal-position. In'Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings the fastener structure shown comprises slid-able bolts '23 which engage in keepers 2 1 carried by the wings and are slidable through suitable housings carried by horizontal supporting .platforms 26 which are located within the body '1 and to which the hinges 21 are connected.

Each of the wings 20 is composed of hingedly connected sections. 27*and 28 which are hingedly connected along a line parallel withthe longitudinal axis of the body 1 as shown at 29 in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Cables or ropes 30 are connected -to the outer wing sections 28 and are in turn connected "to drums 31 positioned within the body, which drums are rotatable through the medlum of hand wheels 22 to permit varying of the angle at which the outer hinge sections 28 extend relative to the lnngesect1on-27, and relative to llhGliOllZOI'ltalto permitregulationofthe camber of the wings and consequently permit regulation of the' fli'ght ofthe airship and adapt in to different air condltions.

Rudders 33 are positioned at the front and rear ends of the body 1- and in the drawings these rudders are shown as substan- '-tially circular in shape, however, it is'to be -u'n'derstood that they may be any desired shape as found practical inthe construction of the airship or glider. The rudders 33 -are"carried by'shafts'or rods 34 which are in turn rotatably carried by the body 1,--and by suitable supports 35. Hand wheels36 are -mountedon the -inner ends of-the shafts 3 L and-are provided to facilitate rotation of the-shafts to varythe angle of the rudders relative to the horizontal,- so as to permit 'the rudders to be moved into vertical po-. sition during -the'rising of the flying machine, so as to offer as little resistance as :possib-leto the upward travel of the airship. The outer wing sect10ns28 maybe moved vertically 'durin'gthe rising of the airship,

to decrease the air resistance.

The rudders 33 have their outer sections '37 hingedly connected tothe main body" portion of the rudders as shown at 38 and the outer hinged sections 37 act as ailerons and-they are adjusted through the medium "of the-rotation of the drum 39 for windingthe cables 40 upon the drums or unwinding them therefrom. The drum '39 issup1: orted by the supporting structure '35: and has "-hand wheels 42 thereon to I facilitate its manual rotation.

' The body lis entirely enclosed, and access to the interior thereof-may be had througlra door 43.

It is, of course, to be understoodthat the invention may be-constructed inother manners and theparts associatedin different j relations and, therefore, I do not desire to be limited in anymanner except as setforth in the claims-hereunto appended.

aving thus describedmy invention what I claim is 1. An airship comprising a body having a substantially cent-rally disposed transversely extending well therein, a substantially frusto conical shell rotatable in said well, and a plurality of fan blades carried by and extending inwardly into said shell.

2. An airship including a body, a well disposed transversely in the body, a shell rotatable in said well, fan'blades carried by and extending into the shell, and means for-guiding air into the shell and against the blades.

0. An airship including a body, a substantially frusto conical shell disposed transyersely within said body and mounted for rotation therein, fan blades carried by and extending into the shell, and means for guldlng air into the shell and against the blades.

4. An airship comprising 'a body, said body provided'with a transversely extending =well, arota-ry shell within said well, a plurality of blades extending longitudinally of said shell and curving inwardly .into

jthe-shell, -11162L11S for rotating said shell, said shell provided withopenings adjacent said blades, and means forguiding air through said'openings and against said blades.

5. An airship comprlslng a body, said "body provided with a transversely extendmg well,:a rotary shell within said well, a

plurality of blades extending longitudinally of said shell and curving inwardly into the shell, means-for rotating said shell, said shell provided with openings adjacent said blades,'means forguiding air through said openings and against saidbla des, a prime mover for rotating :said shell, and a pro peller rotated by said prime mover.

*6. An airship comprising a body, said body provided with a transversely ertending well, roltar shell within said well, a

plurality of'blades extending longitudinally of saidshell and curving inwardly into the shell, means for rotating sai-d shell, said shell provided with openings adjacent-said blades, means for guiding'air through said openings and againstsaid blades, wings hmgedly connected to the sides of the body,

"and rudders positioned at the front and rear and rudders positioned at the front and rear ends of the body, said rudders mounted for rotary movement about the longitudinal axis of the body.

8. An airship comprising a body said body provided with a transversely extending Well, a rotary shell within said well, a plurality of blades extending longitudinally of said shell and curving inwardly into the shell, means for rotating said shell, said shell provided with openings adjacent said blades, means for guiding air through said openings and against said blades, wings hingedly eonneoted to the sides of the body, rudders positioned at the front and rear ends of the body, said rudders mounted for rotary movement about the longitudinal axis of the body, said wings composed of hingedly connected sections, and means for adjusting the position of the outer sections of said wings.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

THOMAS J. POLK. 

